Carry-on laptop ban on flights from Europe still possible, DHS says

Airport staff inform passengers March 29, 2017, about a prohibition about electronics larger than cellphones on flights to the U.S., at the check in area at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport, Morocco.(Photo: Abdeljalil Bounhar, AP)

WASHINGTON — Homeland Security will still consider a ban on large electronics, including laptops, in the cabins of European flights, the Trump administration said Tuesday after a report the ban wasn't expanding.

Politico reported Tuesday, based on unnamed sources, that the ban wasn't expanding to Europe with the headline: "U.S. tells EU: No laptop ban." The story came after a call between U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc and European Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulous.

But David Lapan, a spokesman for Homeland Security, called the report "absolutely wrong." Lapan said the call covered three issues: raising the bar for aviation security, working together to secure global aviation and maintaining clear lines of communication.

Homeland Security in March banned laptops and other electronics larger than cellphones in carry-on bags on flights originating from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa. The ban affected about 50 daily flights. Kelly has said he would consider expanding the order to include Europe, which would affect nearly 400 more daily flights carrying up to 65 million people a year.

"The secretary made it clear that an expansion is still on the table," Lapan said. "Secretary Kelly affirmed he will implement any and all measures necessary to secure commercial aircraft flying to the United States — including prohibiting large electronic devices from the passenger cabin — if the intelligence and threat level warrant it."

The European Commission said Bulc and Avramopoulos' conversation with Kelly was constructive, and the U.S. made no announcement about the ban during the call.

Kelly told reporters Friday at Washington Reagan National Airport that terrorists remain committed to destroying planes bound for the U.S., and he was working with airlines and security counterparts in Europe and Asia to deal with the threat.

Kelly told Fox News Sunday that he was considering expanding the electronics ban to all international flights into and out of the U.S. But he hasn't set a deadline for making a decision.

But expanding such a ban to include Europe raised both safety and productivity concerns. The International Air Transport Association, which represents 265 airlines, projected a European ban could cost $1 billion per year in lost work time. Some airline pilots and safety advocates say putting more electronics into checked luggage could endanger aircraft if fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries go undetected in the cargo hold.

Kelly said safety precautions would be taken into account if the ban is extended.